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While a small number of colleges operated with test-optional policies for years before the pandemic, COVID-19 instigated a new era of testing guidelines that brought as much confusion as rejoicing. Was a strong test score still the proverbial cherry on top of one’s application? Or was it finally time to throw testing out the window and repurpose SAT and ACT prep books into attractive doorstops? After carefully observing admissions trends over the past several years, one takeaway has become abundantly clear: while standardized testing policies remain highly variable, strong standardized test scores continue to increase the competitiveness of an application at the vast majority of institutions. Want to learn more about how SAT and ACT tutors can prepare you for your best score? In today’s blog post, we’re covering:

• The current testing landscape
• Reasons to invest in SAT/ACT tutoring
• Our top picks for SAT and ACT tutors

Why do standardized tests matter?

The fundamental task of college admissions officers is to identify students who they believe will excel in their school’s academic environment, benefit from its resources, and graduate in four years. As such, your application’s primary objective is to demonstrate academic preparedness for the institutions to which you are applying.

as well as the suggest that standardized testing, when viewed in light of a student’s context and resources, can be uniquely predictive of a student’s ability to succeed at the undergraduate level. It can even outweigh other factors, like course rigor, which varies from school and school, and grades, which are increasingly subject to inflation.

Moreover, standardized testing requirements can increase on-campus diversity. Years before the pandemic-induced test-optional phenomenon, Andrew Belasco, ������һ����ӰԺ�ݲ�’ CEO, published research in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis asserting that test-optional policies do little to promote equity of access in higher education. Instead, they enhance the perceived selectivity, rather than the diversity, of participating institutions. This finding has been supported by MIT’s recent research on its own admissions policies. It found that standardized testing not only better predicts undergraduate academic success at MIT but also increases diversity. After , MIT .

Should I submit scores to a test-optional institution?

The decision to submit test scores to a test-optional institution is based on a variety of factors. However, if a university does have a test-optional policy, dig deeper into both their official and unofficial preferences. What percentage of their enrolling freshman class submitted test scores? Is there a difference in the admit rate for students who submit test scores? Has their admissions office or leadership team released insight into their attitudes toward standardized testing? For example, standardized testing is currently optional at Brown, but 76% of the most recent enrolled cohort submitted scores. Moreover, their president . Furthermore, although Auburn offers a , they’re openly “test-preferred.” Last year, only 10% of students who applied without test scores were accepted.

In addition to a measurable admissions edge, standardized testing can be an essential factor in earning scholarships and merit aid. For example, to qualify as a National Merit Scholarship Finalist, students must submit an SAT score that is high enough to confirm their original PSAT score. Additionally, some state and university-specific scholarships have standardized test score minimums. These include the University of Delaware’s and Georgia’s .

Why should I invest in an SAT or ACT tutor?

College is one of the most important investments that you’ll make in your lifetime, with the potential to heavily influence your personal and professional life for years to come. Accordingly, the admissions process is about making a series of wise choices that position you for success in today’s uber-competitive landscape. Since we anticipate that colleges will continue fine-tuning their testing policies and preferences as they amass further internal data, it’s essential to stay flexible and prepared for a variety of possibilities.

As such, you should plan to dedicate ample time to standardized test preparation. Although self-guided preparation is possible, we’ve found that the most focused and effective preparation is often best achieved under the guidance of an SAT or ACT tutor.

The best SAT and ACT tutoring programs—whether in-person or online—help students improve their content mastery, testing familiarity and strategy, and mental stamina and preparation. Similar to how English class presentation anxiety can be mitigated by delighting your friends and family with ten different dry runs about totalitarianism in Animal Farm, standardized testing performance can be optimized by working with a tutor who is deeply familiar with the exam.

It’s also important to note that there is no one-size-fits-all test preparation method. Students’ needs and goals vary widely, so we advise focusing on providers who offer a variety of options and delivery methods. These can include self-paced online courses, group classes, and private tutoring.

Who are the best SAT and ACT tutors?

To that end, we frequently recommend the following companies to our clients. All have worked with many ������һ����ӰԺ�ݲ� students and achieved excellent results. Moreover, each company listed provides some level of virtual services. Most importantly, their founders have dedicated their careers to preparing students for standardized testing. All have at least ten years of experience and are constantly adapting their offerings to shifts in the testing landscape.

Presented in alphabetical order, our top four SAT and ACT tutors are as follows:

Edison Prep

Program Types: Group Classes, Private Tutoring

Edison Prep’s co-founders and tutors are passionate educators who possess over one hundred thousand hours of combined experience. Moreover, they personally take both the SAT and ACT on a yearly basis. Founded in 2010 by husband-and-wife team Brian and Dr. Silvia Eufinger, Edison Prep offers both group classes and private SAT and ACT tutoring, delivered both in-person and virtually. They bring a highly effective mix of personal test-taking experience and tutoring expertise to the table, resulting in sizable score increases for their students who are willing to put in the work. Their ACT students average a 4.4-point increase, with some increasing 8-9 points. SAT students average a 121-point increase, with some increasing their score by over 200 points.

Franklin Yard

Founded by educators who have experienced test prep from every angle — as veteran tutors, classroom teachers, and private school administrators — Franklin Yard has established itself as a premier SAT and ACT prep resource, particularly for students at highly competitive high schools across the country. Their approach is deeply personalized: students are matched with hand-selected, full-time expert tutors based on learning style and personality, and the program begins with a thorough diagnostic process to identify each student’s specific strengths and areas of opportunity. Franklin Yard offers small-group Masterclasses as well as fully customized 1-on-1 tutoring, delivered almost entirely virtually. Their team — including founders — remains actively involved throughout the process, providing families with clear communication, progress monitoring, and honest guidance every step of the way. Franklin Yard also offers complimentary proctored practice tests with detailed score reports to help students establish a baseline and identify the right exam for them.

Related: Franklin Yard — Test Prep Provider Spotlight

Mindfish Test Prep & Academics

Program Types: Group Classes, Private Tutoring

Founded by Stanford alums Bill Huston and Ryan Krug, Mindfish Test Prep & Academics came on the test prep scene nearly twenty years ago. It has only grown exponentially since. Inspired by Oxford’s tutorial method, every single Mindfish offering is built around 1:1 tutoring. As such, students can choose from group classes, which include eight hours of private tutoring, or straight-up 1-on-1 SAT or ACT tutoring. In addition to providing guided structure, consistency, and motivation, Mindfish tutors teach students personalized strategies that help them overcome their individual testing hurdles. On average, Mindfish students raise their SAT scores by 160 points and their ACT scores by 4 points.

Wasik Tutoring

Program Types: Private Tutoring

Founded in 2014 by Kathy Wasik, a Vassar College mathematics graduate who spent a decade as a senior tutor at one of New York City’s most prestigious tutoring firms, Wasik Tutoring was built around a simple but powerful premise: families deserve experienced tutors, and experienced tutors deserve to be compensated accordingly. Rather than operating on the high-volume, high-markup model common in the industry, Wasik Tutoring pays its tutors among the best rates in the business — attracting a roster of specialists with a decade or more of experience each. Working with students across the country and internationally, Wasik Tutoring custom-designs every engagement around the individual student’s goals, whether that means closing a gap in content knowledge, pushing toward a top percentile score, or preparing for a competitive private school entrance exam. In addition to SAT and ACT prep, the team covers AP courses, IB subjects, academic subjects from algebra through calculus, and graduate-level exams, including the GRE, GMAT, and MCAT.

Final Thoughts — Best SAT and ACT Tutors

Given the continued influence of standardized testing on the college admissions process, we advise diligently preparing for the SAT or ACT. Working with a top SAT or ACT tutor can significantly elevate your scores, thus increasing the competitiveness of your application as well as the likelihood of earning scholarship and merit aid funding, both of which can have a sizable impact on your future.

Looking for more standardized testing resources? You might find value in the following resources:

• ACT and SAT Policies
• Test-Blind Colleges
• Digital SAT Score Calculator
• ACT Score Calculator
• AP Score Calculators